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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2018.The Daily News of TV Sales Wednesday, December 19, 2018

NIELSEN: 9 PM HOUR STILL TV’S ‘SWEET SPOT’ Television has the strongest case yet for how advertising and smartphone use go hand in hand—quite literally—when making a pitch to clients. Nearly half (45%) of U.S. adults say they either always (9%) or very often (36%) watch TV and use a smartphone or tablet simultaneously. And nearly a third reported using both platforms “sometimes.” In fact, the 12 percent of TV viewers who “never” do both at the same time have become the outliers. (See the numbers HERE) The data comes from a custom survey of Nielsen’s Media Enthusiast Community. It shows more than just whether people are using a digital device while watching TV. It also probed what they’re doing online. The answer helps draw a direct connection between a television spot and money in a client’s pocket. That’s because more than a third (35%) of those surveyed said they jump online to look up and shop for a product they’ve just seen in a TV commercial. “This highlights a need for an omnichannel marketing strategy in the digital age, as well as making sure brand messages lean into click-through conversion,” a Nielsen analysis says. The data also shows TV outperforms radio by 10 points when comparing simultaneous media consumption and browsing and shopping activities. According to the most recent Nielsen Total Audience Report, adults in the U.S. spent almost 10.5 hours a day with media in the second quarter of 2018, and that’s led to more overlap than ever. “On the other hand, some simultaneous actions likely present a challenge for audiences to process multiple messages at once,” Nielsen says. “For example, audio and TV are less correlated, with only 6 percent often watching and listening to different content at the same time. And over half never use TV and audio simultaneously at all.” The latest Nielsen data shows TV’s primetime is especially heavy for media use. In the second quarter of 2018, U.S. adults spent more time on media from 9-10 PM than any other hour of the day, with nearly 38 out of a possible 60 minutes being spent across various media during that hour. Yet even with all that competition, television still holds its own. “The 9 p.m. hour also seems to be the sweet spot for TV consumption, as both linear TV and TV-connected device usage peak at that time,” Nielsen noted. Its data also shows that digital device use is pretty steady between 9 AM and 9 PM, with less than a one-minute fluctuation in time spent throughout the day. See an hour-by-hour breakout of adult media usage HERE.

SMARTPHONE BECOMES TELEVISION’S ‘BUY’ BUTTONADVERTISER NEWS M&M’s can be added to the list of Super Bowl LIII advertisers, says Mediapost. M&M’s will air a new 30-second spot, from BBDO New York, during the first commercial break of the game’s first quarter. This will be the brand’s fifth Super Bowl ad in the past decade... Rent-A-Center has terminated its merger agreement with private equity firm Vintage Capital Management (owner of one of its major rivals), which was overwhelmingly approved by Rent-A-Center shareholders in September. The companies received a “second request”

from the Federal Trade Commission, according to a press release. That’s an indication that the agency’s look into the antitrust implications of the merger would be at least somewhat protracted. Rent-A-Center’s board of directors “determined

not to exercise its right to extend the end date and instead elected to exercise the Company’s right to terminate the Merger Agreement,” according to the release. The rent-to-own retailer has asked the private equity firm for its agreed-upon breakup fee of $126.5 million within three business days... Airline stocks are climbing as oil prices tumble. American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United-Continental and Southwest were all up yesterday... Amazon is doing big business in toys — especially in games. Toy sales hit an estimated $510 million in the third quarter, up 30 percent from the year-ago period, according to a report by Edge by Ascential. The research revealed that outdoor play, toys for adults (games) and automotive toy trends will carry Amazon into the new year as one of the biggest toy sellers in America... I can finally fly again! Popeye’s is launching “Emotional Support Chicken” for stressed-out travelers this holiday season. The chain is selling three-piece chicken-tenders meals packaged in “Emotional Support Chicken” carriers at Philadelphia International Airport. Emotional-support animals have been making national headlines recently, as passengers have pushed the boundaries and tried to bring bizarre companions on flights. In January, a woman tried to bring an emotional-support peacock on a United Airlines flight.

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

NETWORK NEWS The Big Bang Theory is adding a new face to its 12th and final season. Lindsey Kraft (Grace and Frankie, Dirty John) will appear in a recurring role on the long-running CBS sitcom. Kraft will play Marissa, the new bride of Penny’s ex-husband Zack, a role reprised by Brian Thomas Smith. Kraft will first appear on Jan. 10 episode and return for multiple episodes.

NBC FINALIZES MIDSEASON PREMIERES The Hollywood Reporter says viewers will see less of The Voice when it returns for its spring cycle on NBC. In its last set of midseason premiere dates, the network revealed it is cutting out six weeks’ worth of Tuesday episodes of the singing competition. The Voice debuts Monday, Feb. 25, and will have Tuesday episodes Feb. 26 and March 5, then go idle on Tuesdays until April 23. Ellen’s Game of Games will fill the 8 PM Tuesday spot in the interim. NBC has also set dates for returning shows World of Dance, Good Girls and A.P. Bio and a pair of new dramas, The Enemy Within and The Village. It had previously announced dates for its winter unscripted shows and scripted series Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Blacklist. Not on the list is Abby’s, a comedy starring Natalie Morales. NBC will announce a premiere date for it later. The Enemy Within, starring Jennifer Carpenter as a CIA operative turned traitor turned FBI asset, will premiere at 10 PM Feb. 25, taking over the post-Voice slot Monday after Manifest ends its 16-episode season. World of Dance opens its third season with a two-hour premiere Feb. 26 before moving to its regular Sunday home March 3, opposite ABC’s American Idol. Season 2 of Good Girls also goes to Sundays starting March 3. Superstore will return from its winter hiatus Thursday, March 7, leading into Season 2 of A.P. Bio. The Village, which follows the interconnected lives of residents in a Brooklyn apartment building, debuts at 10 PM Tuesday, March 12. It will follow This Is Us for three weeks and then take over the latter’s 9 PM slot starting April 2. For a complete schedule, click HERE.

APARTMENTS DRIVE NOVEMBER HOMEBUILDING U.S. housing starts rose in November, reflecting a large climb in apartment building that masked weakness in single-family home construction. Housing starts increased 3.2 percent in November from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.256 million, the Commerce Department said yesterday. Residential building permits, which can signal how much construction is in the pipeline, grew 5 percent from October to an annual pace of 1.328 million last month. Housing-starts data are volatile from month to month and can be subject to large revisions. November’s 3.2 percent rise for starts carried a margin of error of 9.8 percentage points. The broader trend shows starts rose by 5.1 percent in the first 11 months of 2018 compared with the same period a year earlier.

AVAILS WPBF-TV, the Hearst Television station located in West Palm Beach, Fla., seeks a proven Digital Sales Manager to provide energized leadership for our digital sales initiatives. The ideal candidate possesses a passion for new media and enjoys staying up-to-date with its evolution, understands digital marketing strategy and thrives in a customer-focused team environment. If you have a proven track record of producing revenue on multiple platforms, click HERE for more information or to apply now. WATCH. EOE

ABC6 in Providence, R.I., is looking for an experienced media sales professional with a minimum of 2 years’ experience. We need an enthusiastic, accountable individual to work with local and regional clients at both the agency and local levels to develop marketing plans utilizing all station platforms and products. The ideal candidate will also have a proven track record with direct new business development. Please send resume to: cantonio@abc6.com.

No calls, please. WLNE-TV / ABC6 is an equal opportunity employer.

See your ad here tomorrow! CLICK HERE for details.

NBC CHIEF HINTS AT NETFLIX-STYLE SERVICE NBC Universal’s boss sent a holiday greeting to employees this week, and it contained an intriguing hint about the coming year, Bloomberg reports. Steve Burke, head of the Comcast division, suggested that the company might unveil an online TV service in 2019, though it’s hard to know how seriously to take a message written in the rhyming style of Dr. Seuss. “While you all go off to relax, swim or ski,” Burke wrote. “Maybe, just maybe, next year we will announce our plan for OTT.” Burke, who oversees the NBC network, cable channels such as USA, and the Universal theme parks and movie studio, has yet to announce a streaming product like those planned by rivals Walt Disney and AT&T’s Warner Media next year. But Comcast is getting such a service through its acquisition of Sky.

ACTRESS, DIRECTOR PENNY MARSHALL DIES Penny Marshall, who went from starring on the smash Happy Days spinoff Laverne & Shirley to helming such features including Big and A League of Their Own, died Monday night of diabetes complications at her home in the Hollywood Hills, Calif. Laverne & Shirley was an out-of-the-box smash after premiere in January 1976 on ABC. The characters appeared on briefly on Happy Days — which was created by her brother Garry Marshall — but made enough of an impression to lead their own series. Also starring Cindy Williams, the midcentury-set sitcom was about a pair of lower-class workers at Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee. It became America’s most-watched TV program by its third season and ran from 1976 to 1983. Penny Marshall was 75 years old.

12/19/2018

Jim Gaffigan

I’m just relieved it’s illegal to work out during December.

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

MANAGING HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS 101 We all want to do it. Plenty of us have even tried and failed. We’re talking about managing high-performing teams. Will Pemble of GoalBoss.com has been there, done that, and has laid out the process. Here’s a roadmap to how he achieves success: After establishing a team to handle a challenging sales situation, give them a mandate and take a step back. Allow them to set sales targets for the year, as a group and as individual contributors. They may not be used to working together, and that’s the point. They’ll need to rely on each other, instead of you, to develop a plan. So each member will be held accountable by the group to reach assigned sales goals. This style of accountability can be stressful. When assembling the team, set a realistic timeline that provides wiggle room for when unexpected responsibilities and other tasks divert their attention. On the other hand, don’t let them slide. Let your team know you expect them to achieve 80 percent of their target by the deadline. Assuming your team has set up a true challenge, they’ll fully commit to achieving the goal. Working toward a goal that everyone has agreed on is exactly how a sales manager can ensure that employees perform as a team. And don’t forget: Praise them for a job well done when they produce results! Like the saying goes, “Those who feel appreciated will always do more than what is expected.” Source: SalesFuel - Manage Smarter.

GLOBAL TELEVISION AD SPEND UP 1% IN 2018 Global TV ad spending on linear TV – real time and delayed viewing – inched up 1 percent in 2018, estimated to be $140 billion, according to WARC, a U.K.-based media research company. According to MediaPost, WARC looked at a dozen key markets – Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK and the U.S. – and found linear TV has a 41.9 percent share of all worldwide advertising. Other estimates show the U.S. would represent about half of global linear TV advertising spending this year – around $70 billion. Globally, addressable TV advertising continues to see rapid growth. It’s now at $1 billion worldwide this year, for a 0.7 percent share of the total linear TV advertising market. WARC predicts that by 2022, addressable advertising’s share will be 10 percent. It estimates that 71 percent of TV advertising spend is responsible for “long-term advertising-generated profit.” The research company also says worldwide mobile internet advertising is in second place, at $58 billion. Media agency strategic unit Magna estimates U.S. national TV will be up 1 percent this year; taking out cyclical business (political and Winter Olympics), it’s down 1 percent. Local television looks to grow 9 percent this year, but it’s down 4.5 percent when eliminating political advertising.

WEARABLES GIVING TECH OUTLOOK A BOOST The proliferation of smart, wearable devices like watches and fitness trackers will be among the tech industry’s bright spots over the next few years, according to a new report from research firm International Data Corp. Wearables shipments, which include everything from Fitbit’s trackers to Samsung’s Tizen smartwatches and Apple’s AirPods, jumped almost 9 percent in 2018 to 125.3 million devices, IDC said in a report released this week. The market will grow an average of 11 percent annually to reach 189.9 million devices shipped in 2022, the firm said. Still, the

projection is modestly more conservative than IDC’s report back in June that forecast wearable shipments would hit 199.8 million by the end of 2021. Two major trends are driving the growth: Growing interest in increasingly more capable smartwatches is bolstering that segment, and expanded interest from consumers in developing markets is helping fuel sales of lower priced devices. “The rise of smart wearables will not

just be in mature markets, but also from emerging markets in Asia/Pacific and elsewhere,” senior analyst Jitesh Ubrani wrote in the report. “Japan will play an equally important role as they consume more than one third of all smart wearables.” The continued expansion of wearables comes at a critical time for the tech hardware industry, as sales growth of both smartphones and personal computers have slowed.

THIS AND THAT The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is urging people to log out of Facebook and Instagram for a week. The civil rights group’s boycott call comes after a report that Russia’s social campaign to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign was aimed in large part at African-Americans. The NAACP also says it has returned a donation from Facebook... Google says it will spend $1 billion to create a new campus in Manhattan, looking to more than double the number of its employees in New York City in coming years... Amazon has a CRAP list, and brands should try to stay off it. CRAP actually stands for “can’t realize a profit.” Ad Age reports that “Amazon will remove products if they’re not profitable for the company.”

12/19/2018

Funny Tweeter

You know you’re getting old when you decide to tell your doctor the actual truth about

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